National League Team of the Season 2023-24

With the National League season being drawn to a close on Sunday, it is time for my National League Team of the Season.

Once again, it has been tough to pick with lots of different options to consider, but here is my XI.

Grant Smith

The Bromley goalkeeper was announced as the Goalkeeper of the Year for the fifth tier in the run up to the play-off final, and he once again proved his worth in the final.

Ravens boss Andy Woodman stated after the final that Grant Smith is the best goalkeeper in the division, and you would be hard-pushed to argue with him.

Smith has come in and proven his credentials as number one for The Ravens, a key part of their defensive efforts that saw them finish the campaign with the second best defensive record in the league with only 49 goals against; Smith himself has contributed to that by keeping a total of 13 clean sheets.

And, he underlined why he was picked as the standout goalkeeper with another impressive display in the final at Wembley with some important penalty saves. A cracking season, and by far and away the pick of the bunch for me.

Gus Scott-Morriss

Southend United have been the best defensive side in the division this term, and so it is only right that there is a Blues player in this side, and so who better to be included than wing-back Gus Scott-Morriss.

Scott-Morriss has contributed to conceding the fewest amount of goals (45) in the league, but has proved to be a whole lot more than that for The Blues. For a Southend United side that once again been hampered by selection woes, perhaps the best ability of Scott-Morriss has been the availability to always be a hard-working, selfless, committed presence on the right-hand side.

The defender has once again been recognised with a callup to the England C side, and has been his usual attacking self with the best output going forward of any defender at the level. He finished the campaign with an impressive return of eight goals in the league, coupled with six assists, and has been key to The Blues’ attacking efforts with his athleticism to get forward and get good delivery into the box as well as score himself.

He is – in my opinion – the standout full-back in the division, and so he has to get in.

Danny Collinge

Barnet may have impressed most in an attacking sense, and so it may be a tad odd to include a Barnet defender as the sole Bees representative, but I think The Bees backline battler has been the standout centre-back in the division this term.

In terms of all-round centre-back with an ability to be a threat in both boxes, Collinge has been superb for Dean Brennan’s side as a key cog of their back three and also contributing with near-double figures for goals (eight in fact). He also ended the campaign with two assists to his name, and so a total of 10 goals involvements for a centre-back is mightily impressive.

There have been so many top defenders in the division and so it is his ability to show more than just being a good defender and contribute in other ways that has stood out to me as being impressionable. He is a diligent defender first and foremost, but can step into midfield, has a good range of passing, and is an intelligent operator.

He was highlighted for his efforts with a callup to the England C side, and was one of the standout performers for The Non League Lions in that game.

Callum Reynolds

He may not be the flashy choice, and he might not be the pick that everyone would go for – I admit that Jamie Grimes was close to this term – but I have opted for someone who I have been continually impressed by throughout the campaign and who I think has been the better overall defender that some of the other options; Bromley’s Callum Reynolds.

Reynolds has been a picture of consistency at the back for The Ravens and alongside what has been – in the main – younger options with the likes of Elerewe, Okoli, Kirk and Grant, Reynolds has been the experienced, wily head to hold everything together with his leadership and organisation.

In many ways, his final game of the season – in the final at Wembley – summed up how he has been for the entirety of this campaign, with an assured and mature display that has been hall-marked by strong positional play, a good reading of the game, strong decision-making and importantly an ability to defend properly.

Byron Webster will get the plaudits for the goal he scored to get Bromley into the Football League, but I think that fellow experienced defender Callum Reynolds has ever so slightly been the pick of their backline. Successful teams needs characters like Reynolds and I think he has been quietly brilliant.

Ollie Harfield

To be in a side that have conceded in excess of 80 goals (83, to be precise) and still be voted in the divisional Team of the Season speaks volumes of how good he has been this term. And, in the same way he was picked by his fellow clubs as the standout left-back, I think he has indeed been the pick of the bunch.

Harfield has adapted to a new role this term, going from a conventional left-back into playing on the left of the back three, but has adapted really well to that and has played as if he has been doing so for the whole of his career. A natural for the role with his recovery pace, composure on the ball and energy.

And, Harfield has been able to maintain his usual attacking verve that he would do as a left-back, a constant marauding presence down the left-hand side getting good delivery into the box, overlapping Ryan Glover and contributed with eight assists to his name.

He was named in the England C team on both occasions this term as a reward for his efforts, and in my opinion has been the pick of the defenders for The Shots. He played every minute for them in the league, and he has been superb throughout.

Tom Naylor

Chesterfield have required experience, steely determination, leadership and nous this term to navigate the league as easily as they have done – certainly looking in as a neutral – and the standout performer for The Spireites has been midfielder Tom Naylor.

For a Chesterfield side that have been attacking as they are, Naylor’s ability to sit in midfield and screen the back four has been vital to the way Chesterfield play.

Indeed, he provides a great deal more than just been a “sitter” at the base with a decent output in the final third, with a total of 12 goals to his name; finishing as one of the highest-scoring midfielders in the division.

He has led by example, been a reliable presence in the midfield with his nous and knowhow, and has been consistently an all-round performer be it needing a combative presence, metronomic passer, goal-scoring midfielder, box-to-box athlete, or vocal organiser; he has been the lot.

Jamey Osborne

Despite falling short in the play-off final, there had to be a Solihull Moors player in this team somehow – given the season The Moors have had – and so I have opted for experienced midfield maestro Jamey Osborne.

Highlighted in our halfway Team of the Season as being one of those that has excelled this term, Osborne has once again stepped up to the plate and helped a somewhat-changed and more youthful Moors side to defy the odds and go from a lower mid-table outfit last season to one with two Wembley appearances this.

The work that he does often goes unnoticed, with his experience and overall leadership in the middle of the park vitally important in guiding The Moors through the season. While Andy Whing may well be the one in charge off the field, it is very much Osborne that is his vocal organiser in galvanising the group and driving standards.

Osborne continued to show up as a key performer right until the very end, with a big goal in the play-off final, and every time I have seen him this term he has shone. A combative and classy presence, he has been outstanding.

Josh Rees

One player who may be overshadowed given that he doesn’t play for one of the top sides, but who I think has been excellent for their side and has certainly shone, is Dagenham and Redbridge midfielder Josh Rees.

The Daggers have had to contend with the loss of Inih Effiong at times this term, and so Rees has stepped up to the plate really well with a string of strong individual displays to negate Effiong’s absence. Indeed, at times you wouldn’t even notice that the striker had gone, with Rees himself turning into a reliable, goal-scoring machine.

Rees has been a central figure of a Daggers side that has got better and better all campaign, and the former Forest man has been the picture of consistency as one of the more experienced players in the group. He has always been seen as a box-to-box, goal-scoring midfielder and he has once again been that with his tally of 15 goals; to average a goal in every three is a decent return.

However, it is his efforts outside of simply being a goal-scorer that will have certainly endeared himself with the Dagenham and Redbridge faithful with his selfless work-rate and all-action style central to the way that they play under Ben Strevens. To reinvent his game after his exit from Boreham Wood and be the main man in Effiong’s absence; it speaks volumes of the level he has been hitting this term.

Liam Mandeville

A player so often underappreciated or not talked about for his efforts, but one that I am sure if you ask Chesterfield fans will say he is one of the key cogs of their side.

Work-horse Liam Mandeville has once again been a manager’s dream on the right-hand side of the Chesterfield attack with his work-rate, endeavour and all-round selfless playing style; indeed, he has even filled in at right-back this term when they needed someone. In terms of effort for a team, Mandeville is right up there as one of the most committed of any in the division.

On top of that, Mandeville has added greater end product to his game with a final tally of 20 goal involvements (8 goals and 12 assists). Indeed, you can bet your bottom dollar that his pressing style has been a key contributor to a lot more goals than just these, too!

He was influential with big play-off goals last season, but this term he has again been a key reason for The Spireites success.

Paul McCallum

Perhaps the easiest selection of this team, the National League’s top scorer Paul McCallum leads the line in this time and you can’t really argue with his inclusion.

The striker has once again been the picture of consistency at the top end of the pitch as a reliable goal-getter, with his tally of 31 goals to his name all the more impressive given the fact he has been playing in an Eastleigh side that have struggled throughout the campaign.

The Team of the Year is very much about individual displays, and McCallum has arguably been the most important player to their side of any on this list; The Spitfires only just avoided relegation and so you wonder where they might be if it wasn’t for McCallum’s efforts.

He is very much the “go-to” when you want a goal in the National League, and he has once again been that man. Feeding on scraps at times, he has been his usual dangerous self in front of goal and takes home the golden boot for his troubles.

Chris Conn-Clarke

The final player on this list is one that has dazzled all season with play-off side Altrincham, and that is wide player Chris Conn-Clarke.

Conn-Clarke was one tipped in the summer as having the potential to be one of the standout signings, if not the standout signing, and he has more than lived up to that as being the jewel of a Robins attacking crown that has shone bright all season long.

The Northern Irishman finished the campaign with 22 goals in 46 appearances and helped himself to a further (recorded, at least) six goal involvements with assists, and so has contributed to nearly 2/3rd of The Robins entire output in the final third this year.

A mesmeric player with balletic dribbling and the man for the big occasion be it intelligence to set up his team mates or the ability to go it alone, he has been a joy to watch.